World-record breaking cyclist Jenny Graham and elite mountain biker Lee Craigie have thrown their support behind the UK’s first-ever women’s leadership course for outdoor instructors - and it’s in Cumbria.

Together they descended on The Outward Bound Trust’s Centre at Watermillock on the shores of Ullswater to meet the women taking part in a new 10-week women’s leadership course led by Outward Bound.

As well as its Ullswater headquarters, the trust also has a centre across the lake at Howtown and a base in Eskdale.

Jenny is famed for breaking the women’s around-the-world cycling record, riding 18,000 miles across 16 countries unsupported in just 124 days.

Meanwhile, Lee is a former national cyclocross champion and winner of the UK 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships.

The aim of the new course was to help women working in the outdoors to reach new heights and become more confident and motivated about top roles.

Outward Bound says change is needed as 50 per cent of its participants on courses are women, yet just 20 per cent of its outdoor instructors are female.

The figures are even lower for mountaineering and advance water endorsement women instructors - with them only making up 10 per cent and eight per cent of the total respectively.

The idea of the women’s leadership course - which concluded last week - was to help redress this gender imbalance, with eight women selected to take part in the course, which combined personal adventure and development with opportunities to work with groups of young people and experienced instructors.

Jenny Graham praised the work of the educational charity. She said: “It was great to hear that a big organisation like The Outward Bound Trust is being pro-active by putting in time, money and research to an area that needs addressing in the outdoors.

“I’m even more delighted to see this being followed through with the commitment to running the course.

“Meeting the women, I was really pleased to see such a diverse group in terms of age, experience, and outlook.

“They have such great rapport and it was amazing to see how much they were getting from the course and each other. Those relationships and that support network will no doubt be something that they will keep with them as they progress.”

Meanwhile, Lee Craigie toasted the course itself.

“The camaraderie, fun and mutually caring spirit of the Women’s Leadership course group was immediately apparent and made open, honest conversation easy and engaging,” she explained.

“We talked about all sorts on the night and I left feeling energised and excited to be a woman doing adventurous things in the outdoors.

“I have no doubt that these women will go on to inspire others in the same way.”

Kate O’Brien, project manager at The Outward Bound Trust, said: “We wanted to offer an opportunity for women to be trained by women, alongside women - something which is the norm for males in the industry.

“Research has shown that a lack of role models, gender bias within the industry and women’s own self-limiting beliefs can hold them back, but we need to help overcome these challenges and develop well rounded, aspiring female instructors with the readiness and desire to work in the outdoors.

“This is new for us and like any true adventure, we don’t yet know what will happen.

“We hope it will influence the stories of eight women, as the future leaders and role models of tomorrow’s girls. Ultimately, we aspire to learn more and to drive future actions towards equality.”

For more about Outward Bound, go to www.outwardbound.org.uk

“We talked about all sorts on the night and I left feeling energised and excited to be a woman doing adventurous things in the outdoors.

“I have no doubt that these women will go on to inspire others in the same way.”

Kate O’Brien, project manager at The Outward Bound Trust, said: “We wanted to offer an opportunity for women to be trained by women, alongside women - something which is the norm for males in the industry.

“Research has shown that a lack of role models, gender bias within the industry and women’s own self-limiting beliefs can hold them back, but we need to help overcome these challenges and develop well rounded, aspiring female instructors with the readiness and desire to work in the outdoors.

“This is new for us and like any true adventure, we don’t yet know what will happen.

“We hope it will influence the stories of eight women, as the future leaders and role models of tomorrow’s girls. Ultimately, we aspire to learn more and to drive future actions towards equality.”

For more about Outward Bound, go to www.outwardbound.org.uk